


when i was a young boy

by RerumTechnologies



Series: When Avengers Adopt [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers Family, Awesome Maria Hill, Awesome Phil Coulson, Bentley Bailey - Freeform, Cults, Manipulative Nick Fury, Maria Hill is a Good Bro, Maria Hill's A+ Parenting, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Past Child Abuse, Phil Coulson is an Avenger, avengers adopt, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-25 08:52:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7526332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RerumTechnologies/pseuds/RerumTechnologies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A boy of maybe fifteen lay on the cot in the center of the screen, unconscious. He was slender with short choppy dark hair. Freckles covered his face thickly and there were wires decorating both arms. He was still wearing the baggy shirt and jeans SHIELD had picked him up in – pockets emptied. As Coulson and Fury watched he jerked from sleep and sluggishly blinked ordinary hazel eyes at the camera.</p>
<p>Or the video file that we all know Tony went back and watched, plus a little more courtesy of Maria Hill.</p>
<p>You don't have to read the first part of this series to understand this fic but I find it flows better if you do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	when i was a young boy

**09/10/2005 23:57**

A boy of maybe fifteen lay on the cot in the center of the screen, unconscious. He was slender with short choppy dark hair. Freckles covered his face thickly and there were wires decorating both arms. He was still wearing the baggy shirt and jeans SHIELD had picked him up in – pockets emptied. As Coulson and Fury watched he jerked from sleep and sluggishly blinked ordinary hazel eyes at the camera.

“You’re sure this is the right kid? He doesn’t look immortal. He looks fifteen.” Fury leaned closer to watch the boy slowly recover from the sedatives. Eyes becoming more and more alarmed.

“I’m sure, sir. The man the other members told us about was with him. Christopher Bailey.” Coulson shuffled through some papers. A photo was slid across the counter to where he watched the boy tug experimentally at his restraints. Fury picked it up and studied the large black haired man frowning at the camera. “Original records say he was born September 23rd, 1942. The ID he had on him says 1967 and list him as Cliff Bailey. The kid didn’t have any kind of ID and no records to speak of.” Fury was silent for several minutes, studying the picture and the screen.

“Send in Hill.”

“Sir?”

“Hill, Coulson. Send her in.”

“With all due respect, sir, Hill is only a Junior Agent in Administration. While she’s showing a lot of promise, I’m not sure she’s ready to–”

“Coulson, send in Junior Agent Hill.”

Fury ignored the heavy sigh and waited for Hill to be brought down from Administration. Finally, he watched her enter the room.

}{

Maria Hill had not known many children. She was an only child and once she got her position at SHIELD the opportunities to talk to kids dwindled. She’d rescued that one kid during the Bora Bora mission but that was more of a ‘snatch screaming child out of the claws of death’ kind of thing. There wasn’t any talking going on.

And now the Director himself had requested her to interview a teenager. Barely a teenager. The kid looked fifteen, if that. She was given the details on her way down.

**Name:       Bentley Bailey (unverified)**

**DOB:         N/A (conflicting information)**

**Age:          N/A**

**POB:          Atlanta**

**Congregation for the Light under Arnold Brown (Hydra-deceased)**

**Sex:           Male**

**Height:      5 ft 1 in**

**Weight:      100.7 lbs**

**Other:        Son of Christopher Bailey, former member of the Light under Brown**

**Members claim him to be ‘immortal’.**

**Members refer to subject as Ewig (eːvɪç)**

There were two more folders on the Congregation for the Light and Arnold Brown. The Light folder was thicker and made her angrier. Sexist. Racist. Crazy. Descended from Atlanteans? Really? Maria wondered how cults even existed anymore. Did people really believe this crap? The folder on Brown was lighter than the Light’s but still thicker than Bailey’s. Hydra high council. Former Member of the board of directors of Imperial Industries International. Deceased. Rumored to be conducting immortality experiments in Atlanta. Told members of the Light that under his watch the Ewig would be born. A man to lead them through the ages, watching over their many lives without having to die himself. Bentley Bailey was said to be that man.

Maria took a deep breath and entered the room.

The kid – Bentley, supposedly – was straining against the straps of the cot. He was skinny for a boy. Hill watched him look her up and down for a moment, considering. He settled back against the bed. He’d been testing the cuffs. Hill waited until he was done.

When he looked her in the eye she spoke, “I’m Agent Hill, I’ll be interviewing you.”

“Who do you work for?” The voice was high for a boy his age. It sounded as though he hadn’t gone through puberty yet, which was odd but not uncommon. Hill looked to the camera. After a moment the light blinked once.

She turned back to Bentley. “I work for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division.”

Bentley raised his eyebrows, “You’re going with that? You need a catchier name.”

Maria settled herself against the table at the foot of his bed, “We’ve got people on that. Can I have your name?”

“You’re telling me you don’t work for the Light?”

“No,” Maria said, staring into Bentley’s hazel eyes without flinching, “I do not work for the Light.”

“How do I know you’re not lying?” He glared at her.

“Because if I was the Light, would you really be talking to a woman?”

He stared at her for another moment before relaxing a bit into the cot. A smile twitched its humorless way across his mouth. “They’re not too fond of women.”

“No they really weren’t.”

Bentley stared at her again. Blinked. “Weren’t?”

“The Division took down the Atlanta sect of the Congregation of the Light three years ago. I’m sure there are other sects, probably some in New York or Chicago, but none of them know about you.”

“Mr. Brown will tell them about me.”

“Arnold Brown is dead.”

The first real emotion crossed Bentley’s face. Relief. “He’s dead?” He whispered. Maria nodded. Bentley made a move like he was going to touch his face but jerked when his hand didn’t reach all the way. “Thank you.” He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them he sat up properly, regarded her with a suspicious stare. After he seemed to organize his thoughts he said, “Agent Hill, my name is Bentley Bailey. What will happen to me after you’re done interviewing?”

“That depends on your threat to the general population.”

Bentley laughed, “Threat to the general population. That’s good.” He sighed, composing himself again, “What if I don’t pose a threat?”

“You would be released. If your father poses no threat as well, you will be released into his custody. If he does–”

“No!” Maria stopped. “I don’t want to be released into his custody.”

“Then the Division could provide you with a foster–”

“I am forty-two years old, Agent Hill.” Bentley said quietly, “I’ve spent twenty-four years pretending I wasn’t an adult. I’d rather not be released into anyone’s custody as a child.”

Oh. Well. That changed things.

Maria nodded, “Then SHIELD would set you up at a safe house. Seeing as you still look like a minor we would probably set you up with a security detail. Agents,” She explained at his eyebrow, “or an agent that would pose as your parents. That would be unavoidable.”

Bentley seemed to mull his options over, “Ok,” He said finally, “I’d like to… request a deal.”

Maria turned to the camera again. It blinked once. “Go right ahead.”

“I want to go to med school. I took online classes to get my GED and I’m guessing my application to University of Wisconsin is what got us caught?” Maria nodded so he continued, “I’d like to go to high school. For real. I want to graduate and go to college and then I want to go to med school. I can get in.” He said at her skeptical look, “I won’t need any palms greased. I just need the money. And in return you can perform any kind of test that is not scarring, inhumane, or unethical on me and my person. And I’ll answer any and all questions.” He tugged on the restraints, “I’d also like free movement, if that’s possible.” Maria waited for a few minutes to let Coulson and Fury duke it out. It sounded like a good deal to her, though she wouldn’t have to explain it to the Council. They’d have to get him a new identity. A driver’s license. A whole paper trail for the school. Protection if Hydra ever came looking for him. She turned to the camera. After another few minutes it blinked once.

“Deal.”

“Wonderful.” Bentley smiled at her. It was a timid kind of smile. The kind of smile a person learns to use when they don’t have a lot of things to smile about and don’t expect a smile in return. “So how about you unstrap me and we can redo this whole interview thing.”

Ten minutes later Maria was sitting on the bed while Bentley paced around the room. An agent entered carrying a tray of food – Chinese at Bentley’s request. “Awesome. Thank you,” Bentley took the tray and set it on the table, standing to eat.

“Let’s get started.” Maria said. Bentley nodded and waved at her to go ahead. “We’re going to go over all of your information since the date of birth was so obviously wrong.”

Bentley laughed a bit around his lo mein. “Shoot.”                

“Name?”

“Bentley Bailey. My dad calls me Ben. I – um.” Bentley stared at the food, “I’d rather be called Bailey. Please. If you could get rid of Bentley… permanently, that’d be preferable.”

Maria nodded, making a note of it. “Date of birth?”

“August 1st, 1963.”

“Age?”

“Forty-two last August, I already said this.” Bentley – Bailey rolled his eyes at Maria.

“Just reviewing everything. Place of birth?”

“Um, Atlanta. I was born in the Light’s house. I’ve never been to a hospital.”

“Sex?”

Bailey hesitated. He wrapped noodles around his fork. He looked up at Maria, back down at his food. Up again. “The Ewig,” He begins. “Is supposed to be male. Because women are weak and have to go through reincarnation so they can become men. Mr. Brown used to say that women were men who did horrible things in past lives. So, of course, the Ewig has to be male.” Maria thought she knew where this was going. “I was raised being told that women were less. That they were inferior. I was raised as a boy in a strictly patriarchal environment until I was thirteen. My dad took me away from that but honestly,” He grinned ruefully, “He wasn’t much better. My sex is female. But…” Maria would swear later that she saw tears in Bailey’s eyes before he looked down at his food. “I haven’t ever been a girl. So I don’t know…” There was a hiccup.

And Maria was done.

“Dresses, skirts, or pants?” She said getting up off the bed.

Bailey stared at her, eyes suspiciously glassy. “What?”

“Dresses. Skirts. Or pants?” Maria enunciated.

“I – I don’t…”

Maria opened the door and spoke to the agent posted outside. “I need you to get Agent Anne Weaver and Agent 13. Tell them I have a fifteen-year-old girl who has only ever worn boy’s clothes. I need dresses, outfits with skirts, and outfits with pants.” She glanced at Bailey. “Juniors, size small.”

They were back in under twenty minutes. Maria spent that time distracting Bailey. They went over weight and height and what Bailey knew about the growth to age ratio.

“So when I was thirteen – when we left – I looked… I don’t know four or so? I think it’s a divided by three kind of thing.”

“Divided by three?”

“Yes. Here, how old do I look?”

“Fifteen or so.”

“Right, and I’m forty-two. Forty-two divided by three is fourteen.” Bailey grinned at her. “When I was in my late teens I was kind of obsessed with equations. I made an equation for my physical and mental age and my dad’s physical and mental age.” There was a pause, then a hesitant, “Do you want to hear his?”

“Of course,” Maria smiled. Coulson would later tell her that the camera broke around that moment and they had to reset the whole system because surveillance couldn’t recognize her.

Bailey smiled again, each time it became more and more real. Maria handed over a piece of paper. When Bailey showed it to her again, she raised her brow,

Me:       P=M/3

Dad:     P=((M-21)/2)+21

“This is pretty simple.”

Hazel eyes rolled, “Yes, well, it’s not like I’m a genius or anything. I only had access to online high school courses and any textbooks Dad would get for me.”

“We can change that.” As she spoke Weaver and 13 came in.

“Ok, I pretty much let Sharon do whatever she wanted, she’s a hell of a lot better at this than I am.” Weaver dropped all the garments onto the bed and swept from the room again just as quickly and efficiently.

“I picked a size above and below a small just in case. And there are bras and underwear in there too,” 13 said with a small smile at Bailey. Bailey was busy staring at all the clothes. 13 leaned out of the room again and brought in a Japanese changing screen, “Keep whatever one’s you like.” Maria shot her a look. These were the Cover Department’s clothes. It’d be a hell of a lot of paperwork to just give them away. 13 just smiled and left.

Maria turned back to Bailey who was touching the fabrics with a mix of curiosity and awe. “I trust you can change and talk at the same time?” Another roll of the eyes.

“Duh,”

Maria almost smiled again. Bailey sounded kind of like a teenager just then.

Bailey took the first dress behind the screen, “Okay so, sparknotes version; I was born in Atlanta in 1963, grew up in the Congregation for the Light until I turned thirteen which made the year… 1976. Then I traveled around with my dad until this year when you guys picked us up. Think Supernatural for the way we lived except I’m an only child.”

“You watched TV?”

“Only fictional. And nothing warlike or political. I couldn’t watch M.A.S.H. or West Wing when that came on. There was Supernatural, General Hospital, Grey’s Anatomy, the Andy Griffith Show, Full House, Star Trek – that one was one of my favorites, but there was a lot of stuff Dad didn’t like about it so I could never watch it while he was around – Friends, but he didn’t like that one either, How I Met Your Mother, ooh and Firefly, I loved Firefly. Dad wouldn’t let me go see Serenity…” There was a sigh, “Dad says – said that the news misleads people. Tells them only what they want us to know. Never the truth.” A scoff, “Ok, how do I look?”

“Floral.”

Bailey laughed and twirled. For the first time Maria could see the girl in her. She looked happy. In a cell with guards, no windows, one door, one bed, and a camera.

Not a very good sign for the father.

“You’re horrible at this. I kind of like it. It’d be a nice picnic outfit, you know?” She twirled again, grinning.

“Try on the next one, I think vibrants are going to look better on you than pastels.” Bailey nodded and grabbed the dark blue dress.

“My life was pretty boring. I mostly stayed out of sight,” A pause and a rustle of clothing. “Why the hell would anyone wear these things? They feel so weird.”

“The bra or the dress?” Maria asked, writing notes in Bailey’s folder.

“The bra. I mean the dress I get. I’m getting a nice breeze. Even though I feel like I’m half naked. I’ve always worn pants, so that’s strange too…”

“Do you know why your father left the Light?”

“He told me that he recognized Mr. Brown from another life as the Bringer of the End. That’s a capital Bringer and capital End.” She came out again, “Do you think I look weird with short hair? As a girl, I mean?” She touched her head self-consciously. Then stared at the camera for a second, “Do two blinks mean no, if one blink means yes?” She asked, a growing smirk on her face.

Maria nearly smirked herself. Coulson was such a pushover. And she’d bet anything Fury had something to do with that as well, “Yes. I think someone in surveillance likes your hairstyle. But you could still grow it out, if you choose.”

An expression of surprise crosses her face. An expression that made Maria want to do unspeakable things to every wrongdoer in this woman’s life. “It’s never really been an option to grow it, since I’m a–”

“You’re a woman. You may look like a girl. You may have dressed like a boy. But you are a woman.” Maria interrupted looking Bailey in the eye, her tone brooking no argument. “I like that one.” She turned back to the paperwork. “Why do you _think_ your father left the Light? Even if he still believed.”

“I think he loved his third wife a lot.” Bailey took a skirt ensemble this time. “He married once before my mother. She left the group before he met my mother.” Bailey paused, sighed, “His third wife, Helena – really liked me. She grew up in the Light so it wasn’t so much of a shock meeting her husband’s twelve-year-old son that looked about four. She taught me how to be a gentleman. Proper hygiene, a firm handshake, don’t touch my face in public, be assertive but not aggressive, how to make polite conversation – she told me I rambled too much. But you get the idea. Here,” She came out in a plain grey dress, “I think I want pants. Not wearing any is making me uncomfortable.” She was standing rather oddly, feet together, fingers tugging the dress down.

Maria shrugged, going back to the folder, “Then try on the jeans. You’ll find them much tighter in the crotch than the men’s pants you were wearing.” Bailey picked out a shirt and a pair of jeans and tucked them under her arm.

“I think my dad really loved Helena. And when she died… well, Dad said it wasn’t safe for us in the Light anymore. Mr. Brown told me that he didn’t trust her. I guessed later that he had her killed. Or killed her. The Bringer of the End had corrupted them too much. So we left.” She disappeared behind the screen again, “But I think what he meant was he couldn’t have a proper wife in the Light. I think Mr. Brown kept killing them off.” There was a thump and Bailey sounded annoyed when she said, “I can get into normal pants just fine, but as soon as it’s women’s pants I just can’t deal. Unbelievable.”

She finally came out and twisted around, “I like these though. I really like these.” She looked up at Maria, “My butt looks female.” She said seriously, “It’s never done that before.”

Maria might have laughed if she wasn’t working. She knew Coulson was laughing the way he always did, close lipped and with only a tiny grin on his ordinary and calming face. Fury was probably glaring at the screen. But he was laughing on the inside.

“I can guarantee it has, this is just the first time you’ve noticed. Now,” Maria flipped to another page, “you were born in 1963. Left the Light in 1976 and travelled the country until this year, 2005. Is that correct?”

“Yes.” Bailey stepped out form the behind the screen, “Oh I like these. They’re a little tighter than I’m used to but they’re comfy.”

“Is there anything else you can tell me about Mr. Brown?”

Bailey was going through the number of shirts they’d brought her, “He wasn’t unusually cruel to me. He… punished me sometimes – but he punished all the children. He said that just because I was the Ewig didn’t mean that I didn’t have to learn obedience just like the rest of them. He talked about the ‘proper order of things’ a lot. And I had more lessons than the other children. They were one on one lessons with him. He taught me about how to...” Bailey snorted self-deprecatingly, “He was teaching me how to _rule properly_. He said I would be the head of a new order. I would have others by my side, just like me.”

“So he planned on making more of you?” Maria asked, “Try the blue one.”

Bailey took the blue button up, “Yes. But only when I was grown, he said. That way we could both teach them.”

“He didn’t trust your father to teach them?”

Bailey snorted from behind the screen, “No. Mr. Brown and my dad never trusted each other. Well, maybe they did when I was born, or before, but definitely not after he killed my mother, or his third wife.”

“Did he ever mention the new order by name?”

Bailey didn’t answer for so long Maria was tempted to glance behind the screen to make sure she hadn’t strangled herself with the bra. Finally, Bailey choked out a whisper, “Hydra.” She cleared her throat, “He said I would lead Hydra.” She came out with the shirt clutched to her front. She turned around when Maria looked up from the paperwork. The clasp on her bra was one off so that it seemed strained. In the center of Bailey’s back was a brand. The symbol of Hydra was lighter than the pale skin it had been burned into by only a few shades. Maria wouldn’t have noticed it at all except for the lack of freckles in the design.

“When did he give you that?” Maria asked, her voice showing no sign of the absolute rage she was feeling.

“When I turned thirteen. The day before we left.” Bailey pulled on her shirt, “It was a rite of passage kind of thing.” Maria nodded absently, pen digging into the paper.

“Any information you can give me on Hydra?” Bailey shook her head, sitting the head of the bed.

“I can tell you what he taught me, about how things would have been run if he’d been able to make more people like me, but that’s mostly theoretical.” Bailey shrugged.

Maria hesitated a moment, because, despite her recent histrionic reactions to Bailey, she wasn’t very fond of showing her emotions. She reached out and touched a skinny knee, “Thank you, Bailey.” She said, staring at the woman until Bailey looked up and met her eyes. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. Thank you for telling me everything.”

Maria left Bailey with her clothes and almost-gone Chinese.

She headed straight for Administration so she could start filling out paperwork for Bailey to be transferred to her own apartment, and admitted into the high school nearest to SHIELD New York Ground HQ. She’d need an Asset Application along with the corresponding Education Grant Requisition Form, a Residence Request Form, a Handler Application – she’d have to find a Handler for her too, and that’d be a pain in the ass alone.

No one likes being a Handler. Well, no one except –

“Well done, Agent Hill.” Coulson fell into step beside her, “You handled that situation very well.”

“Junior Agent Hill, sir.” Maria said, sorting through the written notes. She’d have to type up Bailey’s file as well. “And thank you.”

“I trust you’re headed to Administration to fill out the proper forms for our newest Asset?” Coulson smiled his not-smile, “I’d suggest the Barton Application, myself. It’s a mixture of the Asset Application and the Education Grant Requisition Form. They were combined especially for these kinds of situations.”

“Young girls that are actually fully grown women being taken in by the Division sir? Those kinds of situations?”

“More or less,” He flashed that damned smile again, “We really need to work on that name.” Maria’s mouth quirked in response.

“Thank you, sir, I’ll put the Barton Application on the list. The name is still in Administration.” Coulson let out a sigh and Maria paused outside of said department. “Sir?” Coulson raised his brows, “Is there any chance you would like another Asset, sir?”

Ha laughed at her. He actually _laughed_.

“Oh no, Agent Hill. I do not need that kind of trouble.”

“Junior Agent. She can’t be more trouble than Hawkeye, sir.”

“No,” Coulson was annoyingly content, “No, I’ve got someone specific in mind for her. Let me worry about the Handler Application.”

Maria nodded, “Yes, sir.” And disappeared inside the maze that was Administration.

(Not even Fury doesn’t go down there.)

}{

Three weeks later and everything was settled in the case of Asset Bailey.

It had been decided that until she completed high school (“For the _second_ time,” she kept telling them) she should not live alone. There was a heated debate on the subject between Bailey, and Agents Hill and Coulson until Bailey relented, but only after Maria assured her it would only be until she graduated. So she (and her Handler) had been given a small SHIELD apartment near a nice (but not too nice) high school in Manhattan. Bailey worked part time free clinic on 57 th. She requested that her father be released. It had been decided that he would be released but not allowed to leave New York. He was now staying in a crappy one room apartment in the Bronx. Courtesy of Director Fury himself.

Every morning her Handler walked Bailey to the high school – where coincidentally, many children of Division employees went as well – and was picked up promptly when school let out.

“You know,” Bailey said, on the Friday of her third week at high school, “ _Technically_ I’m forty-two years old.” She picked a newspaper up off the nearest bench and ran to put it in a recycling bin outside a Starbucks. She’d started talking about how she was going to be on the Earth for a long time and she’d rather it not choke and die. “I can walk the four blocks home.” She continued, as she darted back to her Handler’s side. “And even if I really was as old as I _look_ , I’d still be able to walk the four blocks home. I’d be fourteen not five. And the sun doesn’t set for another few hours.”

“We still don’t know if Mr. Brown told anyone else about you. Until we know for sure, better safe than sorry.”

“Isn’t this taking time away from, like, missions or something? Don’t you have important stuff to do at work _Agent Hill_.”

Maria smirked at her, “If I didn’t know better I’d say you were embarrassed to be picked up by your ‘hot older sister’.”

“I can’t believe you heard that.”

“I have eyes and ears everywhere.” Maria smothered the full out grin that was threatening to show. “And you said it not me.”

“You don’t look old enough to be my _mother_. I wasn’t going to tell Rachael you were a teen mom. I thought you’d be grateful,” Bailey huffed and buried her chin deeper in her scarf, stuffing her hands into her pockets, “And James said you were hot, not me.”

“Of course, my mistake.” Maria made Bailey go up the steps before her, but entered the building first, checking the stairs and then inside their apartment. “And yes, I do have important stuff to do, but I can do it all from here.”

“I figured you’d have more work at HQ now that you’re a _real_ agent.” Bailey dropped her backpack beside the kitchen table and got out her textbooks.

Maria sighed minutely, “Being a Junior Agent still made me an Agent, I just had a lower clearance.” She could feel Bailey’s droll stare on her back, “A much lower clearance.”

“Yeah, so low it didn’t exist.” Maria could hear Bailey flipping through pages, “So about walking home…”

“I’ll talk to Surveillance and see if they’ve picked up any chatter. If they haven’t picked up anything by the end of October, I’ll let you walk home alone.” Maria turned in time to catch Bailey pumping her fist, “But,” The fist-pump turned into table head-slamming. “I’m still walking you to school.”

Bailey peeked out from behind her hair which was just starting to reach her chin. Maria knew she’d have to bring up a salon sooner or later – just to style it and cut the split ends off. “Deal.”

Maria did grin this time, though out of sight of Bailey and the windows, so there was no way anyone would ever know.

There were times over the next ten years that Maria regretted Coulson promoting her and giving her Asset Bailey. Bailey’s high school, college, and med school graduation were none of those times. Despite Bailey’s heated arguments against it they somehow lived together until Bailey graduated from NYU. Half way through her sophomore year Surveillance let them know that Cliff Bailey – once known as Chris Bailey – had another child. A boy. A real one this time. They’re told his name was Dylan.

It was the first and only time Bailey snuck out. She made it as far as the front door of the building her father was staying in before Agents caught up to her and Maria tackled her. The tackling didn’t occur until Bailey managed to incapacitate two Junior Agents. Part of that was Maria’s fault, she’d been teaching Bailey how to defend herself. A little too well.

After that the Division arranged a deal with the father. Every other weekend went to Bailey. The mother of Dylan was oblivious and therefore understandably angry and confused as to why her husband’s unmentioned first child got _partial custody_ of her own child. She was quickly silenced by the spout of unrelated nonsensical law jargon thrown at her by a Division-hired lawyer.

(“I’ve never seen my dad so scared,” Bailey whispered to Maria as SHIELD’s tall, leggy, blonde lawyer shouted down her father’s tall, leggy, black haired wife. “This is amazing. What is she even yelling at her?”

“I’m fairly certain it’s just random lawyer speak.” Maria said without moving her mouth.)

There were only three incidents noted on their record as Asset and Handler. The first one was in 2009. Bailey had just finished her first year at NYU when Fury called Maria in.

He was assigning Bailey to Project TAHITI.

“No.” Maria said, staring Fury in the eye. She was one of possibly three people in the world who did that.

“Excuse me, Agent?”

“No, sir.”

“That’s better, but the answer is your input is irrelevant. Coulson has already agreed to it.” Fury shuffled papers on his desk, obviously thinking the conversation was over. How wrong he was.

“Sir, she doesn’t have the kind of knowledge that would be of use or even of interest to Project TAHITI. She’s already proven she doesn’t know anything about the surgical operations Mr. Brown and his associates completed upon her and her father to extend their lives. I don’t see why she would be–”

“You’re not supposed to see. I am. That’s why I am Director and you are Agent.” They stared each other down for minutes before Fury ground out, “Do not think this will be tolerated again, Agent Hill.”

“Of course not, sir.”

“Shut up.” Fury folded his hands as Maria sat back in her chair – their version of a truce. “Agent Coulson and Dr. Goodman believe that if Bailey is brought into this project from the start and focuses her skills and learning along this path of study, it will make her uniquely qualified as the Avenger’s Medical Officer.”

“Is that an official title, sir?” Maria asked, no inflection noticeable in her tone or expression.

Fury glared, “Yes, Agent, it will be. Bailey is not to be informed of her position. She’ll be trained in triage as well as the operations necessary for Project TAHITI. Bailey and Dr. Goodman will be the only ones trained this way.” Fury tilted his head down, looking Maria in the eye more fully. “I would never jeopardize the mental or physical health of my Agents, Assets, or Consultants, Agent Hill.”

Maria met his eyes briefly before standing and heading for the door. “Yes, you would sir.” She said at the door, not opening it yet, “If it was for the greater good, yes, you would.”

}{

Bailey, of course, was ecstatic, because she had no sense of self preservation. She began going to Dr. Goodman’s lab on Monday’s Wednesday’s and Friday’s after school.

(“Even if you have the mind of a middle aged woman, your body is still fifteen, it needs at least eight to ten hours of sleep and you only get seven as is–”

Bailey threw a pillow at her, “Yes, thank you mother, I know how much sleep I get. Go away now.” Maria did one of her private smiles, out of sight of Bailey and the windows)

}{

The paperwork for the Division’s new title finally went through in October of 2010. Bailey baked three different cakes from scratch – with supervision provided by Hill. She traded a whole month of laundry for secret information like favorite cake flavors.

The red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting went to Coulson, it read ‘ **Congratulations on your new baby** ’. The yellow cake with chocolate frosting went to Fury, it read ‘ **You need a better Administration Department** ’. Bailey searched for an entire day for the final cake recipe. Bailey named it the Most Chocolatey Cake Ever. It was sent jointly to Agents Anne Weaver and 13, it read ‘ **The best Agents/Enablers of SHIELD** ’. Hill had a little input on the decoration of the last cake.

}{

The second note on their record was May 4th, 2012. It was a Friday, so Bailey was already in the lab when six agents and a stretcher came in. They were in one of the subbasements at SHIELD Ground HQ. All of the scientists, and Bailey, were watching the screens. They had the news pulled up, a different station on every screen. The Battle of New York was raging up above.

Maria was watching everything from the Helicarrier. She had one screen dedicated to following Bailey, in case she decided to be stupid and head out to try and help anyone injured during the Battle. Maria and Fury were busy directing as much as they could. Fury kept disappearing to deal with the World Security Council. Maria suspected they would only stand for that for so long before they bypassed him. She was shouting orders left and right but paused to watch, on the only screen that wasn’t fixated on the Battle in Manhattan, as Phil Coulson was wheeled into the Project TAHITI lab. She watched with regret, anger, and sadness building in her gut as Bailey went pale, as she ran to Coulson’s side and began preparations for operation out of habit. A hand came out to turn the screen off.

Maria looked up to meet Fury’s eyes. They were as unreadable as ever. She bared her teeth in a rare show of unprofessionalism. _He told you he didn’t want anything to do with it._ Her snarl said. _He wanted it shut down and now you’re handing him over like a lab rat. You’re handing him over to Bailey. Bailey will have to live with this. Coulson will have to live with this._ She turned back to the room. To the Battle.

Miles below her, she knew Bailey was fighting another battle.

}{

The third time, and the only time Bailey and Maria actually fought with each other because of an assignment, was when Bailey insisted she was ready to work for SHIELD Medical.

“Three years of high school, four years at NYU, and four years at Johns Hopkins. I think I’m ready, Maria.” Bailey

In the end Bailey was right – but only because she got to Fury first.

“She performed the impossible, Hill.” Fury said, glaring out at the Helicarrier bridge. “She’s ready to go to Medical. If anything, she’s over qualified.”

“You made sure of that, sir.” Fury turned his glare on her but Maria kept her eyes on the agents at the monitors.

They fudged Bailey’s records in case anyone got curious. If they bothered to check, Bailey would have gone to school for twelve years, NYU for another four, Johns Hopkins for another, and then a final four years at the Massachusetts General Hospital. 

In February of 2016 Dr. Bailey was hired by SHIELD Medical.

In March she finally met her first Avenger.


End file.
